Neurodegenerative disorders (NDs) are a group of related human maladies that share a common pathophysiological feature, the progressive degeneration of selective neuronal populations over the course of time. These neurodegenerative diseases include but are not limited to Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, Lewy Body Disease and related movement disorders, and Friedrich's Ataxia and related Spinocerebellar Ataxia's. As a result of increases in the elderly population, it is expected that the number of patients with neurodegenerative disorders involving forms of dementia such as Alzheimer's disease will increase. Because these diseases progress with age and affect both the patient and their living environment, it is important to find a therapeutic method at an early stage. Characteristic clinical symptoms of Alzheimer's disease include progressive cognitive deterioration, declining ability to participate in daily activities, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and behavioral changes. Plaques containing misfolded proteins, called beta amyloids, form in the brain many years before the clinical signs of Alzheimer's are observed. Together, these plaques and neurofibrillary tangles form the pathological hallmarks of the disease. These features can only be discovered at autopsy and help to confirm the clinical diagnosis.
Huntington's disease (HD), is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease whose symptoms are caused by the loss of cells in the basal ganglia of the brain. This damage to cells affects cognitive ability (thinking, judgment, memory), movement, and emotional control. HD is characterized by uncontrollable, dancelike movements and personality changes. HD patients develop slurred speech, an unsteady walk and difficulty in swallowing. There is no effective treatment for HD. After a long illness, individuals with HD die from complications such as choking or infection.
Parkinson's disease (PD) is an idiopathic, slowly progressive, degenerative CNS disorder characterized by slow and decreased movement, muscular rigidity, resting tremor, and postural instability. Despite extensive investigations, the cause of PD remains unknown. The loss of substantia nigra neurons, which project to the caudate nucleus and putamen, results in the depletion of the neurotransmitter dopamine in these areas.
Acute and/or chronic neuronal loss in the adult CNS results in the irreversible loss of function due to the very poor ability of mature nerve cells to proliferate and compensate for the lost neurons. Thus attenuating or reducing neuronal loss is essential for preservation of function.
Therefore, there is a need in the related art an agent or a compound to treat a neurodegenerative disease.